Lip shield



V. P. SMITH LIP SHIELD March 3, 1936.

Filed April 4, 1934 lNVENTOR 15cm QA- ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 3, 1936 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

The present invention relates in general to lip guards or shields and more particularly to an improved guard or shield for use by women in putting on or taking off over the head, dresses, gowns, or other garments to prevent the staining of such garments with lip rouge or other lip stains.

The problem of keeping garments from being stained or soiled with lip rouge or other lip stains when such garments are put on or taken off by women is an ever present one in the home, in dressmaking establishments, in dress shops, in department stores, on the stage, and in other places. Yet no satisfactory lip guard or shield has appeared upon the market.

This invention was conceived and completed to solve this important problem and has for a principal object the provision of a simple, inexpensive lip guard which is rigidly and durably constructed, molded or cast from plastic material, and of such permanently set shape that it will always fit the mouth or lips of the user perfectly, can be used repeatedly, and is inflexible so that the user may have perfect confidence that no part of the lips will be uncovered by the pull of a garment catching upon it when in use.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of such a lip guard which is sanitary and washable and yet impervious to water, which may be made economically from plastic material in a variety of attractive colors, and which will always present an attractive and smooth appearance.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of such a lip guard for women which may be formed readily from inexpensive plastic material by simple devices or tools, and which in its final shape is inflexible, durable, non-inflammable, and not easily broken.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 'is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the device as applied to the mouth and lips of the user;

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross sectional view of the device taken along the lines 3-3 of Fig. 2 and illustrating graphically the relative position of the mouth piece between the lips, teeth, and tongue of the user.

Referring now in more detail to the drawing: The preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing consists essentially of a guard plate or lip covering member A, and a mouth piece or guard tightening member B, the

members A and B being preferably molded, cast, or otherwise formed integrally into a single, solid, and inflexible piece from synthetic plastic materials characterized by being light in weight, noninfiammable, sanitary, substantially unbreakable, washable, and impervious to water. Of such synthetic plastics, having the enumerated characteristics, a great variety exists, including several especially suitable for the carrying out of the present invention which have only recently become available in the market.

The guard member A shown in perspective in Fig. 1 comprises an elongated plate formed from said specified material which is gradually curved or bowed longitudinally and also gradually curved or bowed transversely to provide a convex outer surface II, a concave inner or lip engaging surface l2, and a nicely rounded edge or periphery l3, which in outline (see Fig. 2) is substantially oval or elliptical in shape. The concave inner surface l2 has a contour which conforms as closely as is practicable, in one or more sizes, to the anterior surfaces of the human lips, and is adapted to cover such lips completely, thereby completely shielding any garment which may be pulled over the head by a woman in putting on or taking off such garment from becoming stained or soiled by lip rouge or other lip stains.

The guard plate A is preferably formed thick enough to give it suificient body compatible with lightness and to render it strong enough to prevent breakage in normal use. It is of sufiicient width and length, in one or more sizes, to cover completely the exposed lip surfaces of. the user.

In order to hold the described guard plate A firmly against the lips of the user there is provided the mouth piece B which comprises a horizontal plate 14, T-shaped in cross section preferably integral with the member A and extending centrally from the concave surface l2 and rearwardly therefrom. It terminates in an enlarged portion or vertical wall or rim l5 which projects upwardly and downwardly beyond the horizontal plane of the upper and lower surfaces of the plate respectively, said wall or rim being curved to provide by 'its convex surfaces for a locking engagement with the teeth and by its concave surface a tongue engaging recess [6.

As clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3 in using the device the member B is inserted into the mouth of faces of the user's lips.

It will readily be seen that when thus used the guard plate presents a nicely rounded smooth outer surface without any projecting parts on which any portion of a garment which is being pulled over the head can be caught.

Obviously, this device may have various useful applications other than those specifically described.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of'the invention or sacrificing any of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A substantially indestructible lip shield for repeated use, comprising a guard plate gradually rounded to -conform to the contour of the anterior surfaces of the lips of the user, and adapted to cover completely said surfaces and having a single, smooth, and uninterrupted outer surface, and a mouth piece integral with said plate, extending rearwardly therefrom, and adapted to be engaged by the teeth of the user, said mouth piece having its rear portion enlarged to provide a section of greater thickness and a section of lesser thickness. 1

2. A substantially indestructible lip shield for repeated use, comprising a guard plate gradually rounded to conform to the contour of the anterior surfaces of the lips of the user and adapted to shield completely said surfaces and having a single, smooth, and uninterrupted outer surface, and a mouth piece integral with said plate, extending rearwardly therefrom, and having its rear portion oflset transversely to the plane of its main surface to provide a wall adapted to engage the posterior surface of the teeth of the user.

3. A lip shield comprising a guard platecurved longitudinally and transversely to conform to the contour of the anterior surfaces of the lips of the user and adapted to cover completely said surfaces, and a mouth piece integral with said plate, extending rearwardly therefrom, and being substantially T-shaped in cross section to provide for a locking engagement with the teethoi the user.

4. A substantially indestructible lip shield for repeated use, comprising an inflexible guard member of substantially oval outline and having a single continuous convex outer and a concave inner surface, the latter conforming substantially to the shape of the anterior surfaces of the human lips and a member extending centrally and rearwardly from said inner surface and having its rear portion offset along a curved line to conform to the curvature of the teeth of the user.

VARVARA PUPIN SMITH. 

